Stranger Things’ David Harbor says mental illness is ‘the natural state of poverty’

Stranger Things actor David Harbor likened mental illness to a ‘natural state of poverty’ amid his own battle with bipolar disorder

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Stranger Things actor David Harbor opened up about mental illness and compared the struggles to a form of poverty.

The 47-year-old star, who played Sheriff Jim Hopper on the hit Netflix sci-fi show, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 26 after an episode saw him put in a camp. mental.

“My particular big problem is what society calls mental illness. It’s not like a broken leg,” he explained to Big problem.

“What defines insanity is socially inappropriate. But it’s very socially inappropriate, in a sense, not having enough money to live on.

“Being mentally ill is a natural condition of poverty. When you can’t participate in society by going out to buy lunch and going into a store and stuff, it drives you crazy.

“It’s a chicken and an egg. They go together.”

The actor said he has struggled with the ‘medical model’ of mental illness for a considerable amount of time and finds talking to be the most emotional form of therapy.

He continued: “I’ve definitely been in and out of the system. And there have been times in my life when it was very easy to end up on the street, but I’m lucky to have a family that can support me. overcome difficulties and try very hard. times.”

Before landing a role in Stranger Things, Harbor had never found fame from his acting accomplishments.

He told the newspaper that, by the time he turned 35, he thought he was relatively successful because he was able to pay the rent and continue to make ends meet.

“The dream of being on a talk show has always been a marker for me, and I gave up on that at the age of 35,” he admitted.

“And then it hit me very hard a month after I hit 40. I remember going in and I’m sad because I’m still in this place and I don’t have the money, I’m worried about doing that. to pay his rent.”

He confessed that he feels as though he’s a “journeyman” in the acting world and thinks his offer to join the hit show is one of which he’s just one. reserve.

Because of this, he admits he didn’t invest much time in the script at first.

However, the Duffer Brothers show won multiple Emmy Awards and received four Golden Globe nominations, making Harbor a star.

“Even while we were filming it, I felt it was a show that I enjoyed a lot but no one would watch,” Harbor said.

“It’s different from anything I’ve been through in my career. One by one, I started getting tons of messages saying, ‘Stranger Things is amazing, I love this show’.

“I’ve never been through that before or since. It was truly a magical moment. The reviews and the numbers hadn’t come yet, but I knew at the time, it was something special. It’s really touching people.”

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